Hips ahoy!

I've been back in Montreal for a while now but my mind is still a million (or so) miles away, floating in the brackish waters of the Sunshine State. 

From the Intracoastal Waterway that winds inland, along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, to The Everglades' Lake Okeechobee, I was lucky enough to be treated to two unique boating experiences while in Florida, the likes of which I'll never forget.     

Aboard the Hips Ahoy, I had the pleasure of watching the world drift lazily by as our trusty captain led us through various inlets, rivers, bays and sounds along Hollywood and Dania beaches and I freely admit to wanting to make a break for The Bahamas, when it was pointed out to me way, way, way in the distance.
 

Hips Ahoy

Quaint houses and small fishing boats slowly transformed into mighty mansions and luxury yachts as the Hips Ahoy stealthily made her way to Fort Lauderdale.

Aboard an airboat built by the previously mentioned captain over 20 long years, I had the opportunity to relive one of my favourite episodes of Kourtney and Khloe take Miami; Land of the Lost.
 

photo by Frank Coluccino

And the road goes ever on...

 

Welcome to Miami / Bienvenido a Miami

There are a few places in this world that ended up being exactly how I pictured them, even before seeing them. Las Vegas is one of them and Miami is another. With nothing but Dexter, Miami Ink and Kourtney and Khloe take Miami as references, the image I had of Miami was pretty close to the real thing. From the awe-inspiring art deco hotels that line Ocean Drive in South Beach to the lush tropical wetlands of The Everglades, Magic City really is all kinds of bueno.

 
And how exactly did I get to Miami, you might ask? 

No, I did not send myself by post. 

I asked the universe, here. Also, I repeatedly asked my very fresh friend to go on a road trip. In the end, the universe conceded and my friend said yes to Florida but no to the road. So we flew. With Air Canada Rouge.

Love the "quotation" marks. Unfortunately, there was nary a jaunty hat in sight. 

Armed with a (growing) list of must-sees in Miami (we also spent a few days in Broward County, which includes Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale) we first paid our official respects to DASH (me) and the Love Hate Social Club (him).

mecca

Ami James' dog

And then there was Ocean Drive. 

Honestly. It's just like heaven on earth.

While we hadn't planned on doing anything at night in Miami (we were livin' la vida broka, folks) we got very, very lucky (thank you!!!) and had the opportunity to attend Meatopia, "the world’s most famous celebration of all things meat," as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF).

Two amazing things happened at Meatopia (other than lots of meat eating and drink imbibing).  

This:

 rockin' around the clock

And this:

celebrity chef José Andrés and yours truly

Thanks universe! You done real good.

 

 
 

Hot dogs and hot rods

I've written about the wonder known as the Orange Julep before here and am revisiting it now, in my mind's eye at the very least, as a way of escaping winter and researching similar wonders or roadside attractions in other areas (let's just say, randomly, between here and Florida).

Tots randomly.

But back to the Julep. Every Wednesday between May'ish and October'ish it plays host to more than just hot dogs on hot rod night, famous for its classic cars even more than its classic cheeseburgers.

From classic Chevrolet El Caminos and vintage Ford Falcons to old-time pickup trucks and more, hot rod night is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a balmy Montreal evening chowing down on classic fast-food fare while listening to Twilight Time and taking a nostalgic walk, or drive, on the wild side.

The bonus is all that travelling through time really works up an appetite. And then, just like that... craving satisfied. 

"Happy Days" indeed:

  
On a (once again, totally random) side note, I'm told there are a number of similar but unique tourist-friendly stops or roadside attractions on the route (I-95 South) between Montreal and Florida. I'd love to hear about them!

The Sunshine (or Orange) State is callin'... Just sayin'.

an oldie but a goodie